Production Manager

RWS Entertainment Group; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment production company in Milton Keynes is seeking a Production Manager to oversee live entertainment productions across the UK, EU, and Middle East. The role involves budgeting, scheduling, and resource management, while ensuring high-quality content that meets client expectations. Ideal candidates have 5+ years' experience in production management and a degree in a related field. Competitive salary and flexible working options offered.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Company Pension

25 days paid holiday

Paid parental leave

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in production management within sports, entertainment, or live event industries.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations of live entertainment productions.
• Oversee resource allocation, production schedules, and budgets.
• Communicate with clients to ensure satisfaction.

Skills

Production management experience

Excellent communication skills

Knowledge of production processes

Project management software proficiency

Health and safety knowledge

Education

Degree in relevant field

Tools

Wrike

Microsoft Project

Asana

Trello

Job description

JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Production Manager
Reports To: Director, Production Operations | Land Production
Working Hours: Mobile - Normal office hours are 09:30 to 17:30, Monday – Thursday, 09:30 to 17:00 Friday
Place of Work: UK HQ, Mill Court, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK12 5EU
Other: Full Time

ABOUT RWS GLOBAL

As the world’s largest producer of groundbreaking live entertainment, and a leading force in the themed entertainment industry, RWS Global creates meaningful connections and customized experiences spanning from theatrical productions to events, multimedia and more. In 2024, the entertainment leaders expanded capabilities into live sporting events with the introduction of RWS Global Sports. Headquartered in New York, London, Cincinnati, Orlando, Sydney, and Riyadh, with dedicated RWS Studios in NYC and the UK to serve its vast talent pipeline and client base, RWS Global serves major brands and corporations, theatres, cruise lines, sports properties, live venues, parks, resorts and more. Offering end-to-end services from ideation to operations, RWS Global’s team of world‑class designers, creators, producers and visionary talent provide unrivaled scale, producing over one million live moments every day and employing over 8,000 individuals worldwide.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Production Manager is responsible for managing the day‑to‑day operations of live entertainment productions across the UK, EU and Middle East, including coordinating logistics, managing production schedules, and overseeing all technical and operational aspects. This role requires a detail‑oriented professional who can efficiently manage resources, cast, crew, and equipment to ensure seamless execution of projects. The Production Manager will collaborate closely with producers, project managers, directors, technical teams, vendors and clients to deliver high‑quality content that aligns with the creative vision and budgetary constraints. The Production Manager will also communicate closely with and have direct accountability for the client relationship.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Relationship Management: Provides world‑class customer service, prioritizing client satisfaction at all times.
• Production Planning & Scheduling: Develop detailed production schedules, timelines, and workflows for various projects, ensuring all elements are planned, organized, and executed on time and within scope.
• Resource Management: Oversee the allocation of resources, including crew, equipment, vendors and site location logistics to ensure optimal use of assets for each production.
• Budget Management: Day‑to‑day management of the production budget, tracking costs, managing expenses, and negotiating with vendors and suppliers to ensure cost‑effective operations.
• Vendor & Contractor Management: Manage relationships with external vendors, freelancers, talent and contractors, including negotiating contracts, managing deliverables, and ensuring compliance with production standards.
• Crew Coordination: Hire, schedule, and manage production crews and technical personnel, ensuring they are fully briefed and equipped for each production.
• Logistics & Operations: Coordinate all site logistics, including venue coordination, permitting, transportation, equipment and production asset installation.
• Technical Oversight: Work with technical teams to oversee the setup, operation, and strike of production equipment, including video, lighting, sound, scenic, SFX and other technical systems.
• Quality Control: Ensure all productions meet the highest standards of quality and safety, conducting site checks and troubleshooting issues in real time.
• Health & Safety Compliance: Implement and enforce health and safety protocols on site, ensuring all crew members adhere to guidelines to maintain a safe working environment.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with production activities, developing contingency plans to address technical, operational, or scheduling challenges.
• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain detailed production records, including call sheets, daily progress reports, expense logs and equipment inventories, providing clear and accurate documentation of all production activities.
• Flexible Schedule: Project locations span the globe and may require extended hours which include work over weekends and holidays and include international travel to project site locations as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Degree in Arts Administration, Production, Film, Media, Sports, Communications, or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
• 5+ years of experience in production management within sports, entertainment, or live event industries.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of live entertainment experience production processes, equipment, logistics and programming.
• Proficiency in project management software and tools, such as Wrike, Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with health and safety regulations and best practices in production environments.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES

• Leadership: Enables project team members to achieve collective results through planning, collaboration, and confident decision making.
• Strong Communicator: Able to provide clear direction to team members, crew, talent, vendors, and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and alignment across all project activities.
• Highly Organized: Exceptional at planning and managing complex schedules and resources.
• Detail‑Oriented: Attentive to all parts of the project process.
• Team‑Oriented: Works collaboratively with diverse teams, fostering a positive working environment that encourages cooperation and communication.
• Proactive Problem Solver: Anticipate potential challenges and develop thoughtful contingency plans to quickly address project challenges to client satisfaction.
• Decisive: Confident in making quick, informed decisions.
• Adaptable: Flexible to last‑minute changes, unforeseen challenges, or evolving project needs.
• Professional Attitude: Effectively navigate high‑stress situations. Representing yourself, the project and RWS in the most positive way.
• Resourceful: Finds creative solutions to optimize resources, manage costs, and maintain quality, within budget parameters.
• Budget‑Conscious: Ability to create and track budgets, expenses, P&L, negotiate with vendors and find cost effective solutions to project challenges.
• Safety‑Focused: Prioritises health and safety of all project team members, enforcing protocols and ensuring compliance with industry regulations, codes and .
• Time Management: Capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring all project deliverables are completed on schedule.
• Flexible Schedule: Project locations span the globe and may require extended hours which include work over weekends and holidays and include international travel to project site locations as needed.
• Ethical & Professional: Upholds high standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

COMPANY BENEFITS

• Competitive Salary
• Company Pension
• 25 days paid holiday excluding Bank Holidays
• Paid parental leave & childcare support policy
• Computer (Mac/Windows)
• Company Phone Program
• Flexible working (office/remote)
• Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Program
• Childcare Support Policy
• Employer Sponsored Vision Program

While this is intended to be an accurate description of the job, this is not necessarily a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions associated with the position, and may require that other or different tasks be performed as necessary and assigned.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT:

DIVERSE IS WHO WE ARE

Way more than a box to check, diversity is core to RWS Global culture. We value it, promote it, protect it and hire it. All differences are welcome here. We know for a fact that each employee’s individual background, life experiences, knowledge, self‑expression, and capabilities are a contribution to our culture, as well as our reputation and achievements. So, bring all of who you are, no questions asked.